By Lisa Carolin
On Feb. 13, Chelsea High School Senior Kaylin Zocharski competed in her final bowling meet and it was a memorable one.
Zocharski was having a good day, feeling energetic and looking forward to a retreat she was going on after the meet. As she was bowling her last game. Zocharski saw her score climbing higher than usual.
“It was very intense,” said Zocharski. “I had to continuously talk to my coach to distract myself. When I went up to bowl the 10th frame, my knees were knocking bad. When I got the final strike, I dropped in relief and jumped into my coach’s arms.”
Zocharski bowled a score of 280 and she was as thrilled as was her coach, Tom De Backer, head coach for the Chelsea High School girls bowling team.
“Kaylin is a very talented young bowler, and it was an honor to be her coach,” said De Backer. “The team depends on her when a match is close, and she usually performs.”
Her performance at the team’s final meet of the season proved no exception. Zocharski credits her team’s support with helping her achieve the impressive score as well as her four years of bowling experience.
“Bowling has become so important to me,” she said. “I will be sad to leave, but I plan on bowling at Grand Valley State University in the fall.”
The Chelsea High School Bowling team has been around for 11 years, and the varsity team has 10 members. The team competes in the Southeastern Conference playing against Ann Arbor Huron, Skyline, Ypsilanti, Tecumseh, Monroe, Adrian and Saline high schools.
“The girls learn to deal with different personalities,” said De Backer about participating on the team. “They learn what the word team really means, and they get a great understanding of the game, both of which they can use the rest of their lives.”
De Backer says that he enjoys coaching because he loves bowling, and he enjoys watching his team members succeed during their four years of high school.
It turns out 280 is not Zocharski’s highest score. She once bowled a 296 in practice.
